User Comments - masterkrang
masterkrang
Posted on: Must-Have Modals
May 13, 2010 at 5:59 PMwhat i mean to say is that we should probably say something like "you're probably hungry because of (some reason)". if you say "you must be hungry", when you literally translate it, it's almost as if you're ordering the person to be hungry.
Posted on: Must-Have Modals
May 13, 2010 at 5:55 PMthis is an interesting question and reminds me that english is pretty frequently wrong, and this is why we can't directly translate from english to chinese.
Posted on: Must-Have Modals
May 13, 2010 at 1:06 AMdavid, thanks so much... yes, very helpful!
Posted on: Must-Have Modals
May 11, 2010 at 9:19 PM上星期我的中国朋友告诉我在有些情况你不可以说“要”。比如说，“我要饭”。应该说“需要”。如果你说“我要饭”的话，意思是你要别人给你钱或你肚子饿，对吗？
Posted on: Must-Have Modals
May 11, 2010 at 9:11 PMtvan... haha, you're right. i guess i just figured it was obvious that the native english speaker should also be proficient in chinese. like John is a perfect example.... even if his chinese isn't perfect, his translations into his english are pretty damn near perfect i'd say in most cases.
Posted on: Must-Have Modals
May 11, 2010 at 8:59 PMxiao_liang, i agree with you that making it enjoyable and engaging is really important. not that i'd judge Liliana's presentation style from one lesson, but i am not particularly convinced that her presentation style is especially engaging. i personally find her use of english a bit awkward... if you listen to the lesson it seems like John has to reinforce or follow up what she says... then it begs the question of why she's there if John can hold it down pretty well by himself? 100% perfect is probably a stretch, but at least it's good to know other people are really into Liliana.
when you put John together with Liliana in a lesson, for me, i just end up waiting for John to explain stuff because i feel like i can relate not only to his accent but to his way of explaining things, which is very fluid english. i don't feel the same confidence in Liliana's translations as i do with John's. especially with this lesson, it's hard to know when to use what version of “要”, so having somebody who's 100% proficient in the target language is crucial. hopefully this is seen as helpful feedback and not random criticism.
on a separate side note, John has been super hilarious lately, has anybody noticed?
Posted on: Must-Have Modals
May 11, 2010 at 6:07 PMi hope this doesn't come off as rude, but what is the reason for having a non-native english speaker translating chinese to english?
Posted on: Talking to the Neighbors
May 11, 2010 at 5:47 AMi'm really happy about these lessons, i've already had an opportunity to use some of this... in Portland Oregon of all places...
one thing i realized when listening to this was how cool it would be if the lessons were delivered totally in simple chinese. probably wouldn't be cool for beginners, but might be some incentive for intermediate / advanced learners.
Posted on: Buying a House
May 6, 2010 at 7:03 PMhearing Jenny say "hobo" for some reason is too funny... i'm guessing John taught her that...
Posted on: Shanghai Expo Pavilions
May 17, 2010 at 9:25 PMhas anybody suggested that the Shanghai expo is just the government simulating a fake international experience for Chinese people who really want to leave the country but can't? ummmm, how would i ask this in Chinese?
:)